Tuesdays with Muerte

I have always wondered why Missouri is called the Show Me state. After a tiny bit of digging, I unearthed a marvelous story behind Missouri's mysterious sobriquet. Note: The slogan is not official, but is common throughout the state and is used on Missouri license plates. The most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1897 to 1903. While a member of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs, Vandiver attended an 1899 naval banquet in Philadelphia. In a speech there, he declared, I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me. Regardless of whether Congressman Vandiver coined the phrase, it is certain that his speech helped to popularize the saying. The use of Vandiver's phrase, "show me," during his sti...

O Nata Lux: Lyric translations: English O Light, born of Light, Jesus, Redeemer of the world, with loving-kindness deign to receive suppliant praise and prayer. Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh for the sake of the lost, grant us to be members of thy blessed body. Lux Aeterna: "O Nata Lux";  Composer: Morten Lauridsen;  Conductor: Paul Salamunovich;  Los Angeles Master Chorale and Sinfonia Orchestra Of all the words in the text, the word I especially adore is, " Loving-kindness ."  I love how the scriptures use it to expound on the motivations of Christ's mercy. After reading and thinking about the following two scriptures, I encourage you to listen to the piece again and bask in the calming assurance of His perfect love. Hosea 2: 19-20  —"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness , and in merc...

What manner of men [teachers] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.  [ 3 Nephi 27:21, 27 ] This is not a brief post.  But it is organized (Part 1 of 3).  In this first installment, you'll find my responses to eight questions I thought of as I pondered  Doctrine and Covenants 88:122-123 . Overarching Questions I approached my personal study with two questions in mind. How can I pattern my teaching after the Savior's? What modern-day teachings has God declared about teaching ? Questions to Ponder While there are countless scripture I could have turned to, I chose to limit my study to two verses of scripture: D&C 88:122-123 .  With these two verses and my two overarching questions in mind, eight key questions came to mind.  I list and responded to each of these in their respective subheadings below: What is this scripture essentially saying about teaching? What do these verses reveal about the role of a gospel t...

My roommate Dan Randall and me at the 2013 AECT Convention in CA. Why Do I Always Wake Up 5 Minutes Before My Alarm Goes Off?   At the center of your brain, a clump of nerves—called the suprachiasmatic nucleus—oversees your body’s clock: the circadian rhythm. It determines when you feel sleepy and when you feel bright-eyed. It controls your blood pressure, your body temperature, and your sense of time. It turns your body into a finely tuned machine. That machine happens to love predictability. Your body is most efficient when there’s a routine to follow. So if you hit the hay the same time each night and awake the same time each morning, your body locks that behavior in. And that’s where things get sciency. Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53710/why-do-i-always-wake-5-minutes-my-alarm-goes#ixzz2l9AFPrZl What is Oxford Dictionary's 2013 Word of the Year?  Every year, Oxford Dictionary names a Word of the Year, the word “that is jud...

This delightful app  generated some deep poetry based on  words from my Facebook history (statuses, captions, comments, etc.). Let me know which ones "speak to you" in the comments below.  Batman is born, the gods flip a coin. ―Cersei Lannister If last night's snowfall were a valid form of U.S. currency... Thanks padres for coming down from Seattle for the Boy Who Knew Too bad, because it's a crappy site, and mice. I interviewed for a fauxstache. What are fun. Just won my first intramural tennis match in straight sets to Steve Jobs. Does anyone want to dunk astronauts under 2? Someone who works always generates a lot of water. There's no talking your way out of your way. FREE BACON! Boom, baby! I heard a cougar inside my wall.

" Final Fantasy VII   features a vast number of memorable characters, but there are few who capture hearts like Tifa Lockhart. She can hold her own against anybody, and doesn't need an 80lb sword to do it..." —Matthew Mueller To demonstrate how universally beloved the Final Fantasy VII story truly is, I have collected Tifa cosplays from every part of the globe—Poland, Italy, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Brazil, England, Philippines, The United States, and France. Character: Tifa Lockhart, Square Enix Game:  Final Fantasy VII * Lady Shizuka  from Poland ( facebook )  Chiara * KiaraBerry  from Italy ( WorldCosplay ) Ri from Sydney, Australia (via  * AlchemyAllStars ) * NadyaSonika from Mexico (Space City Con 2013) ( Website ) Takai Riei from Singapore ( Website ) Kyra Kaira from Malaysia via * wkwebsite  ( facebook ) * Miss-Alice-M...

It's that special time of year once again—Fall Equinox!  Time for us all to pack away our Summer outdoor adventuring equipment and turn our attention to more domestic pursuits like, watching Netflix, sharing the latest lol cat images with our social media friends, snuggling up to a good book, experimenting with extravagant recipes, and—best of all—preparing for holiday-themed costume parties! Every so often, I get these flashes of inspiration regarding costumes for myself and others.  This post will serve as a drafting area for my 2013 Halloween costume ideas.  Please let me know if you are interested in me thinking up a costume idea for you! Me as Jack Sparrow Uncle Rob as Data Group Cosplay Idea: Me (Wash) and my friends as Firefly crew Whitehead kids as TMNT Rick and Heather Whitehead Rick and Heather Whitehead Noelle would make a great Belle Or Meg (as long as Phil cosplays Herc) Gordon and Jule as Qui-Gon Jinn and Leia T...